1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for treating fluids by imparting high frequency vibrations to the fluids.
2. Description of the Background Art
Water in liquid state is an essential element for life. Certain minimal potability conditions, which refer not only to the water""s physical or chemical characteristics but to its microorganism contents are required in order to use this liquid for human consumption. In order to eliminate said microorganisms, chemical treatments for potabilization such as the application of ultraviolet radiation, reverse osmosis, and even boiling the liquid at home are used, some of them with adverse side effects. Simple filtration of the liquid is not enough to eliminate harmful microorganisms. The need of water for human consumption, which complies with health requirements has given origin to water treatment in an industrial scale, and even if it complies with purity standards, it has a very high cost. It can be stated that there is no device in the market for either industrial or domestic use that for a reasonable cost and easy installation, provides a dependable form to treat water according to health standards.
The behavior of a liquid medium, to be virtually incompressible, is known. A displacement or pressure applied to part of said liquid is transmitted to all of the liquid""s volume, and a vibration exerted to say liquid will derive in the resulting vibration of the liquid and its contents. The present invention is distinguished from known inventions as it provides a device that allows the application of mechanically originated vibrations to a fluid medium, specifically to liquids. The device takes advantage of the incompressibility characteristic of liquids in such a way that the undulation of elastic media in the liquid will result in the liquid""s vibration.
The undulation of these elastic media will be such as to provide a primary vibration and its harmonics at very high frequencies in the neighborhood of megahertz, which when applied to a liquid, will make this liquid and its contents vibrate. Due to the primary vibration frequency and its harmonics, which will turn out to be the frequency that impacts the mass of the biological contents of the liquid with the greatest intensity, the vibration will thereby destroy, inhibit or affect the reproduction of algae, fungi, bacteria or viruses in the liquid.
Thus, the invention provides in a functional combination, a plurality of elongated elastic rods, which are disposed in a liquid flow stream, and means for directing the liquid into contact with the elastic rods in such a manner that causes the elastic rods to vibrate. This vibration in turn imparts a vibration to the liquid, thereby treating the liquid by destroying or inhibiting the growth of the biological contents of the liquid. In the preferred embodiment, a multiple vane helix is positioned in the flow stream and each of the elongated elastic rods passes through perforations or apertures in each of the vanes. The rods are held loosely in the perforations so that as the vanes direct the liquid flow through the helix in a generally spiral fashion, the liquid will impact each of the rods, thereby causing a displacement of the rods which results in a resonant vibration of the same. To enhance the vibration of the rods further, an electrical capacitance effect is employed wherein a pulsating high frequency electrical current is applied to the helix vanes and the elastic rods, which in effect act as opposite polarity plates of an electrical capacitor. The vibration of the elastic rods is also preferably increased and controlled by a permanent magnetic field that is produced by a plurality of semiconductor bodies contained in a central support tube of the helix. The magnetic field acts over the elastic rods in a such a way that the undulation of the rods is further enhanced and controlled.
The essential purpose of the invention is thus to provide a device for the treatment of liquid fluids that takes advantage of the liquidsxe2x80x94 incompressible characteristic, thereby using the liquid as a vehicle for the application to its biological content of undulations or vibrations produced by elastic media with controlled intensity and frequency, so that this vibration will considerably affect fungi, algae, bacteria or viruses contained in the liquid.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a tubular container for the liquid that allows its circulation and a helix, which directs the liquid towards the vibration elements in the helix and is supported by the tubular container.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide vibration media, consisting of elongated elastic elements or rods, which act in the helix that directs the liquid flow, which elements are displaced with an undulatory movement by the circulation of the liquid in the helix.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide, by the effect of electrical capacitance, an increase in the vibration of the elastic rods or elements, produced by the interaction of a pulsating current in the helix as well as on the elastic elements, which capacitance increases the displacement of the vibrating elastic rods or elements and also determines the desired range of oscillation.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide in such a device, magnetic media generating low power lines of force that contribute to the intensity and frequency control of the vibration of the elastic rods or elements.